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2009 HSC Notes from the marking centre
2009 HSC Notes from the Marking Centre – Community and Family Studies

2009 HSC Notes from the Marking Centre – Community and Family Studies

Section I
Part B
Part C
Section II

Introduction

This document has been produced for the teachers and candidates of the Stage 6 Community and Family Studies course. It contains comments on candidate responses to the 2009 Higher School Certificate examination, indicating the quality of the responses and highlighting their relative strengths and weaknesses.

This document should be read along with the relevant syllabus, the 2009 Higher School Certificate examination, the marking guidelines and other support documents which have been developed by the Board of Studies to assist in the teaching and learning of Community and Family Studies.

Teachers and students are advised that, in December 2008, the Board of Studies approved changes to the examination specifications and assessment requirements for a number of courses. These changes will be implemented for the 2010 HSC cohort. Information on a course-by-course basis is available on the Board’s website.

General Comments

Teachers and candidates should be aware that examiners may ask questions that address the syllabus outcomes in a manner that requires candidates to respond by integrating the knowledge, understanding and skills they developed through studying the course.

Candidates need to be aware that the marks allocated to the question and the answer space (where this is provided on the examination paper), are a guide to the length of the required response. A longer response will not in itself lead to higher marks. Writing far beyond the indicated space may reduce the time available for answering other questions.

Candidates need to be familiar with the Board’s Glossary of Key Words which contains some terms commonly used in examination questions. However, candidates should also be aware that not all questions will start with or contain one of the key words from the glossary. Questions such as ‘how?’, ‘why?’ or ‘to what extent?’ may be asked or verbs may be used which are not ‘design’, ‘translate’ or ‘list’.

Section I

Part B

Question 11

In the better responses, candidates accurately identified the limitations of observation as a research method.

In weaker responses, candidates only identified one limitation or only provided some information about observation as a research methodology.

Question 12

Better responses clearly explained how access to education can affect the wellbeing of the disabled, and provided a relevant example such as in mainstream education, with the provision of a teacher’s aide and/or modifications to school structures.

Question 13

Better responses demonstrated a sound knowledge and understanding of why self-esteem is an important need for young people, and provided several reasons for this. They communicated their ideas in an organised manner, using appropriate terminology.

Mid-range responses demonstrated some knowledge of why self-esteem is an important need, but used simplistic ideas.

Weaker responses provided only one point on self-esteem and/or needs of young people.

Question 14

In the better responses, candidates clearly outlined two strategies a carer may use to meet the social needs of an elderly person, providing relevant strategies and communicating their ideas in an organised manner using appropriate terminology.

Mid-range responses provided some information on one strategy to meet the social needs of the elderly.

Weaker responses provided one point about a carer meeting the needs of an elderly person.

Question 15

Better responses demonstrated their understanding of the graph. They proposed reasons why the percentage of the 0–4 year age group varied for each of the three family types represented. Responses were communicated in an organised manner and contained appropriate terminology.

Mid-range responses proposed reasons, but for only two of the family types, that the percentage of the 0–4 age group varied.

Weaker responses provided only one reason that the percentage of 0–4 age group varied, and that was for one family type only.

Part C

Question 16

Better responses outlined the main features of a community group that meets the needs of a family in crisis. There was a direct link between the crisis situation and how the community service groups catered for these needs. The ideas were communicated in an organised manner using appropriate terminology. Responses contained a range of examples of community service groups, including both public and private.

Mid-range responses identified the main feature(s) of a community service group that meets the needs of a family in crisis but provided less detail about how the needs were met by the service group.

Weaker responses from some candidates outlined only the crisis situation, but did not identify the community service group. Other responses identified the community service group but did not address its role in meeting the needs of the family in crisis.
Better responses demonstrated a sound knowledge and understanding of the difficulties. Better responses demonstrated a sound knowledge of why two needs were a high priority of the aged. Appropriate terminology was used and communicated in an organised manner.

Mid-range responses showed basic knowledge of why the two needs were a high priority for the aged. Some relevant examples were included. These responses outlined the needs of the aged, but gave less detail as to why these were priorities.

Weak responses provided some information about the needs of the aged without providing reasons for the priorities.
Better responses revealed an extensive knowledge and understanding of the two groups selected. A description both of the causes of conflict and the resolution strategies were provided between the two groups and the wider community. Appropriate links to wellbeing were made.

Mid-range responses demonstrated a general knowledge of the two groups selected. Limited ways of resolving conflict with each group were identified, but in less detail. The focus of the response tended to relate to the causes of the conflict rather than resolution strategies.

Weaker responses demonstrated a basic knowledge of the two groups selected. Some information was provided about the groups. These responses appeared to rely on personal experience to describe the conflict between the groups with no resolution strategies identified.

Question 17

Better responses clearly demonstrated the impact that a child with special needs had on their family’s time management.

Weaker responses gave some reference to special needs or a time management strategy but did not show the impact on the family.
Better responses demonstrated sound knowledge of both high and low socioeconomic status and the influence of this on the parenting and caring relationship. They provided relevant examples including both positive and negative influences.

Mid-range answers showed a basic understanding of high and low socioeconomic status with minimal reference to their influence on the parenting and caring relationship.

Weaker responses made reference to socioeconomic status and the ability of parents and carers to meet needs.
Better responses demonstrated an extensive knowledge and understanding of suitable strategies that assist carers in meeting the needs of those in their care. These responses identified a number of circumstances and clearly linked the needs and strategies to the specific circumstances. A clear understanding of the types and roles of the carer was evident, with relevant examples of strategies. Responses were organised and used appropriate terminology to directly establish the link between needs, circumstances and strategies.

Mid-range responses demonstrated a sound knowledge of strategies to assist carers, with reference to more than one circumstance, such as disabled, elderly, children, chronically ill, or injuries from accidents, but did not link them to needs.

Weaker responses demonstrated a basic understanding of strategies or limited knowledge of circumstances, and did not link to needs. These types of responses gave very basic strategies for carer roles in general or discussed some of the circumstances leading to the need for care.

Section II

Question 18

Better responses demonstrated a sound understanding of how the community contributes to young people’s leisure and recreation. These responses used relevant examples and were written in an organised manner using appropriate terminology.

Mid-range responses demonstrated a basic knowledge of how the community can contribute to young people’s leisure and recreation and tended to rely on narrow or irrelevant examples that showed a limited understanding of community programs.

Weaker responses provided some information or made a relevant point about how the community contributes to young people’s leisure and recreation but did not provide examples.
Better responses demonstrated a sound knowledge and understanding of the government’s role by showing how governments assist young people to become young adults. These responses provided features and characteristics of how the government assists young people to gain maturity and learn to take responsibility for their actions.

Mid-range responses demonstrated a basic understanding of how the government assists young people to become young adults. These responses tended to list rights rather than show how the rights afforded by the government to young people help with the transition into young adulthood. They provided limited yet appropriate examples.

Weaker responses provided some information about the government’s role in supporting young people to become young adults. Some gave inappropriate examples.
Better responses demonstrated extensive knowledge and understanding of community programs that focus on violence-related issues. These responses drew valid judgements on the effectiveness of a number and variety of specific programs. These responses showed how the program had an impact on the wellbeing of both individuals and family members. Some responses explained the effectiveness of some programs using a holistic approach, eg by providing crisis accommodation, counselling for women and children and a safe place to stay. Better responses offered judgements from a positive and a negative perspective for some programs. Examples were extensive and relevant.

Mid-range responses demonstrated a sound knowledge of community programs that support and protect individuals and families from violence. Responses in this range did not evaluate; instead, they tended to describe the program. Examples tended to be relevant but limited and discussion tended to be generalised. The term ‘program’ was used, yet some responses did not name or elaborate on specific programs.

Weaker responses demonstrated some basic knowledge of violence, or else they generalised about community programs or violence. Some responses confused community programs with television programs.

Question 19

Better responses showed a good understanding of the term ‘technology’.

Mid-range responses provided some information to form a broad definition of technology and listed some relevant examples.

Weaker responses provided relevant examples, or one example, or some relevant information about technology.
Better responses demonstrated a sound knowledge and understanding of the impact of communication technologies on interpersonal relationships in families. These responses described the positive and negative impact that communication technology has had on interpersonal relationships in families.

Mid-range responses indicated how these technologies affect interpersonal relationships in either a positive or negative way, or else they made some reference to the impact of technology within families.

Weaker responses provided some information on communication technology using simple ideas and limited terminology. They generally did not relate the information to interpersonal relationships in families.
The better responses were able to effectively demonstrate an extensive knowledge and understanding of both ethical and privacy issues related to technological development. Common ethical issues discussed were related to birth technologies, genetics and human cloning. These responses raised points for and against these and used examples in support of their answer.

The mid-range responses demonstrated a sound knowledge of how ethical and/or privacy issues relate to technological development. Some of these responses confused ethical issues with equity issues.

The weaker responses provided some information about ethical or privacy issues relating to technology. The ideas were simple, and some responses offered only limited and very general examples of technology and did not link them to privacy or ethics.

Question 20

In the best responses, candidates demonstrated a sound knowledge of seasonal and job share work patterns. They showed how seasonal and job share work patterns benefit a variety of individuals.

In the mid-range responses, candidates demonstrated a basic knowledge of seasonal and job share work patterns and their benefits for individuals.

In the weaker responses, candidates provided a relevant point or some information on how seasonal and/or job share work patterns benefit individuals. These responses often focused on only one work pattern, or lacked an understanding of the work pattern, or addressed both work patterns as one and then did not provide detail as to the benefits of the work pattern.
In the better responses, candidates demonstrated a sound knowledge of the impact on the wellbeing of family members when one individual takes on most of the work in the house. Responses indicated both the positive and negative impacts on wellbeing for all family members including the mother, father and children.

In the mid-range responses, candidates demonstrated a basic knowledge of the impact on the wellbeing of one family member or possibly more than one family member, when one individual takes on most of the work in the house. These responses provided limited or no examples of work in the house. Usually responses only addressed negative issues. Some of these responses focused on the impact on the parent in the workforce rather than the impact on the wellbeing of the family members when one parent takes on most of the work in the house. Some mid-range responses focused on the impact on the wellbeing of family members when one individual takes on paid employment.

In the weaker responses, candidates provided some information pertaining to the impact of work on wellbeing.
In the better responses, candidates demonstrated an extensive knowledge and understanding of the role of supportive workplace structures and how they contribute to efficient work practices. Relevant examples were used to support the judgements including various links to the role of structures supporting individuals.

In the mid-range responses, candidates demonstrated a sound knowledge of the role of supportive workplace structures. These responses identified the contribution that supportive workplace structures have on efficient work practices.

In the weaker responses, candidates provided some basic knowledge or information about workplace structures or efficient work practices. If examples were provided, they were very general and often referred only to wellbeing. Some responses suggested a lack of understanding of workplace structures and therefore often referred to workplace supports. Other responses referred to work patterns and made a connection with efficient work practices.

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